Can opener



Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CAN OPENER Wallace 0. Powers, Springfield, Mass. Application May 27, 1940, Serial No. 337,379

2 Claims.

My invention is in the nature of an improvement in a can opener which may be used for various purposes, and the principal object thereof .is directed to the provision of a unique and novel arrangement of parts which is characterized by its comparative simplicity when compared with what has come before it.

Heretofore, the necessity for removing-the disunited top of a can which has been separated from its, can by an opener of the common and well-known type has been hindered by the fact that such tops oftentimes drop into the can upon their subsequent severing therefrom with the result that the operator i oftentimes cut or otherwise injured in his attempts to remove the same. With such an objectionable feature in mind, my invention has thus been devised to overcome the same.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a unique and novel combination and arrangement of parts which is sure and positive in its operation and which is characterized by its relatively low cost of manufacture and by its combination of elements which are arranged in a distinctive and unique manner, so as not only to be accessible readily for any use thereof, but also to encourage the use of the same so as to make their sale increase. That is to say, the device is constructed so as to be of what might be called the jiffy type and it is especially susceptible to easy assembly and disassembly upon cans and the like with which it is used so as to create a demand for the same in stores and the like.

The device of the invention is so constructed that it may be readily and quickly attached to the object or objects which it is desired to operate upon, and it has the added advantage of being simple in its construction as well as sanitary so that dust, rust and other objectionable materials do not fall into the food or liquid contents.

Otherprime objects of my invention include first, the provision of a sturdy and simplified construction of a can opening device of the character above referred to; econd, the securement of a higher degree of accuracy in the performance of work which may be performed therewith than has heretofore been possible; third, the attainment of a higher degree of speed of construction of the device due to its simplification in construction and its unique composition of parts; fourth, the attainment of a flexibility or a capability of easy adjustment by which a large variety of work can be produced by means of the same device; fifth, the achievement of greater ease in of an improved can opening device which may be made more economically and with fewer operations in the manufacture of its parts, as well as in the assembly of the same, than prior devices known in the art, and seventh, the provision of a device in which the parts, when once assembled, are positively and securely retained in operative relation and cannot be separated from each other either accidentally orotherwise.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of the inventive idea involved as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and of a combination and arrangement of parts and is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and will be more fully described and re-- ferred to in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows a satisfactory constructiona1 example of the invention without defining its limits, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device of my invention shown in cooperation with a can; and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, wherein similar reference figures refer to like parts, and referring more particularly to the preferred form of my invention which ha been selected for illustrative purposes, I have shown an essential feature of the device of my invention which is a can opener. This may take various forms, but according to the preferred embodiment of my invention, it consists of a handle member working in conjunction with an operating member. Such a can opener as I refer to includes a handle member l2 which has a toothed gear I! rotatably secured at one end thereof. An operating member I 6 has a sharp cutting jaw member III at one end thereof and the members l2 and [6 are pivoted to each other substantially as shown at l9 whereby the two members may be brought into closer adjacency with each other by manually gripping and squeezing the two members together with the result that the cutting jaw member l8 pierces a top of a can C when the operating member is squeezed upwardly as can be appreciated by an examination of Fig. 1 where it will be seen that the jaw has pierced the top of the can.

A rotating operating member 20 is fixedly seadjustment and in repairs; sixth, the provision cured 'to the toothed gear I 4 so'that as the operating member 20 is rotated the toothed gear I4 is likewise rotated.

To operate the opener, it may be held in the left hand and the tooth gear I4 is hooked under the rim R of the can C. By manually squeezing the operating member 16 upwardly towards the handle member l2 the cutting jaw member l8 which overlies the top of the can substantially as is shown in Fig. 2 pierces the top at the edge thereof near to the rim R. As the rotating member 20 is rotated, the toothed gear I4 is likewise rotated and as it moves forwardly around the rim of the can, the other parts of the tool are likewise moved and the jaw member continues to cut the top of the can as indicated'by the cut X in Fig. 2. By continuing to rotate the rotating member the can may be completely encircled and the top of the can may be completely removed from the can.

Associated with the'handle member I2 is a spring member 30 which is pivotally secured thereto at 32 and which projects at an angle therefrom towards a free end portion 34 to which an attaching means is secured. This means may take the form of a magnet or a suction cup. In the drawing, a spring member is shown to which a suction cup 36 .is pivotally secured and is rotatable relative thereto by means of a bolt or rivet 38 and nut 39, although it will "be understood that the suction cup is shown merely for purposes of illustration and that a magnet could be substituted therefor with little difficulty. I

The spring member may take various forms but in the form shown it is made of a fiat springlike metallic material although it is to be understood that any other type of spring may be used so as to facilitatethe easy manipulation of the spring member and its associated attaching means. This spring member may be detachably secured to the handle member so that it is adapted for slipping over said handle member, although in thedrawing it will be understood that it is secured thereto at 32 by a pivotal arrangement.

. If it is desired, the spring member may be adjustable so thatits' length may be varied to make it adaptable for varyirlg conditions. That is to say, because cans vary in their sizes, it may become desirable, if not necessary, to provide an adjustable means whereby the spring member may be changed in its length so as to overlie the tops of, different. cans of different sizes.

The attaching means 36 is adapted to overlie the top of the canCso that v,when it is desired to remove the top of the can the attaching means may be called into play by merely moving the spring member 34 in the desired direction so as to enablethe attaching means 36 to become engageable with the top of the can. The spring being easily adjustable,the attaching means can be easily brought into the desired position.

As the cutting operation commences, the can is rotated relative to the device whereby the pivotal arrangement between the attaching means and its component spring member is called into use. As the can is'rotated, the attaching means,

, of course, remains stationary relative to the remainder of thedevice v of my invention by virtue of the pivotal arrangement which permits the spring member 34 to turn upon the bolt 38.

If a suction cup is used for the attaching means, all that is required in order to loosen the same from the can is to squeeze its sides together so as to break the vacuum created thereunder. The vacuum having been broken, the attaching means is easily removed. If a magnet is used as the attaching means, all that is required in order to loosen the same from the can is to upset the magnetic attraction between the magnet and the can whereby the two units are quickly and easily disassociated.

My invention has the additional feature of being adapted for hanging purposes wherever it is desired to place the same when not in use which is a feature very much to be desired.

Manifestly the specific details of construction may be considerably varied from those herein shown and described without involving any departure from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages inherent therein. While I have described my invention in this specification in great detail and Particularly with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The combination with the pivotally connected members of a can opener and associated means for cutting a cover from a can of means for retrieving said cover comprising, a spring swingable to move the cover away from the opening in said can.

2. The combination with the pivotally connected members of a can opener and associated means for cutting a cover from a can of means for retrieving said cover comprising, a flexible spring member having an end connected to one of said members providing a resilient free end for extending over the cover of a can, and a suction cup secured to thefree end of said member adapted for suctionally attaching to said can cover, said spring member and suction cup adapted and arranged to yieldingly urge the cover upwardly when out from the can and swingable to move the cover away from the opening in said can.

WALLACE 0. POWERS. 

